uRoutine raises £555K to fight doomscrolling with a ‘productive social network’

Ex-Hachette and Penguin CEOs back uRoutine’s bid to build a platform with both social impact and profit potential.
uRoutine raises £555K to fight doomscrolling with a ‘productive social network’

Productivity social network uRoutine has closed a £555,000 Seed funding round. 

Described as the “productive social network”, uRoutine is free, globally accessible, and designed to be impactful in just five minutes a day, helping users ‘achieve more and scroll less’ while embracing the growing trend of digital detoxing. 

The consumer-facing app aims to address the productivity and wellbeing challenges many people have faced since the pandemic and the rise of remote work. The platform allows users to create, copy and track routines, connect with friends, family, and trusted experts such as healthcare professionals and personal trainers, and stay motivated through shared progress and encouragement.

uRoutine has already attracted more than 3,500 pre-registered users between May and July 2025.

The investment, secured within just three weeks, comes primarily from angel investors who backed founders Ed Johnson and Gabriel Sirbu’s previous venture PushFar, which was acquired by ScaleUp Capital in June 2023.

Ed Johnson, co-founder and CEO of uRoutine, shared: 

“Closing our round in just three weeks and welcoming thousands of early users tells us there’s a real hunger for a more productive alternative to social media.”    

We are thrilled to have the backing of investors who worked alongside us before and saw our last company through to a successful exit.  This allows us to focus entirely on delivering value for our users from day one, and turn the appetite we have experienced into lasting  Influence.”

Investors who took part in the round include Timothy Hely Hutchinson CBE (former CEO of Hachette UK), Tom Weldon (CEO of Penguin Books UK), Glynn Woodin (Founder of Mustard Foods and Mustard Catering), and Paddy Dear (Co-Founder of Tetragon Financial Management).

Tim Hely Hutchinson CBE, investor and former CEO of Hachette UK said:

 “uRoutine is a platform that is perfectly aligned with the cultural shift towards digital balance, meeting a huge and growing demand for tools that help people use technology more purposefully and productively.

An exciting aspect of uRoutine is that it combines social impact with strong commercial potential and a clear path to scale and profitability.

Ed and Gabriel have a proven track record in identifying and executing opportunities to build impactful platforms, which I’ve seen first-hand, and I’m delighted to be working with them again.”

uRoutine will use the funding to support the development and marketing of the platform, as well as developing B2C and B2B revenue streams.

In the long term, the company plans to introduce a business and brand-facing solution, helping organisations with employee productivity, alongside helping brands reach consumers who are actively engaged with habits, goals and routines that align with brand purpose.

Lead image: uRoutine. Photo: uncredited.



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